All That's Blood and Bone
by Vanessa Sgroi
Summary: Tony jumps at the chance to use a friend's cabin in the woods for some forced R&R. To his surprise, Gibbs agrees to go along. But there's something lurking in the woods, and it may very well be after DiNozzo. Who or what is it? Tony knows just whom to call for help.
1. A Cabin in the Woods

This NCIS/SPN crossover story was initially inspired by the "It's Not Natural..." challenge on the NCIS Fanfiction Addiction (NFA) Forum. I wasn't able to get the story written in time to submit it for the challenge but I wanted to write it anyway. So here's the first chapter. This story follows my other NCIS/SPN crossover titled "Crossed Paths" only in that Tony DiNozzo (and McGee) has already met Dean and Sam Winchester, and he knows they are hunters and what they hunt. This new story features Tony and Gibbs.

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to NCIS or Supernatural. I'm just having a little fun with some of the characters.

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**All That's Blood and Bone**

**By: Vanessa Sgroi**

"Yes!" Tony DiNozzo crowed softly from his desk as a smile bloomed on his face.

"You seem uncommonly happy, Tony," McGee muttered, turning his gaze from his computer monitor to his co-worker. "What's going on?"

"Oh nothing much…except a buddy of mine just told me I can use his cabin next week for that mandatory little vay-cay they're making us all take after the Roberts shooting."

"Like, a cabin in the woods cabin? You?" McGee shook his head. "I can't picture it."

"Oh ho," Tony wagged a finger. "This isn't just any cabin! My buddy's a major tech geek—a bit like you actually—and he tricked this cabin out. So there's cell service, wi-fi, satellite TV. Not to mention there's a sauna AND a hot tub."

"Isn't it too cold for a hot tub?"

"Nah, McKooky, it's never too cold for a hot tub. I'd ask you to go with me but you already have plans…"

"Yep," Tim nodded in agreement. "I've got a book deadline to meet and this is the perfect time to make some headway."

"Hey, Gibbs," DiNozzo turned his attention toward his boss who was sitting at his desk across from Tony's. "Don't suppose you'd like to go with me? I mean, I know you don't necessarily like things like that but, you know, you could come with me and…"

"Sure."

"…you could, I dunno, chop wood for the fireplace and—well, there's no boat but I'm sure there's something you could sand…wait…you just said _sure_. Does that mean _yes_?"

"It usually does."

Tony was so surprised; he was nearly at a loss for words. "You really want to come with me?"

"Do I have to get in the hot tub with you?"

"No way."

"Then yes. I'll come with you."

Tony clapped his hands together. "This'll be great! Matt told me it's pretty well stocked so we won't even have to take that much with us. I told him I'd give him cash to cover what we eat and drink, you know? His cabin's up in Keysers Ridge, Maryland. That's a little unincorporated community in Garrett County. Roughly a 161 miles from here, so about a three-hour drive. Maybe a little more…"

"DiNozzo, do I need to know all of this right this second?" Gibbs queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…no…"

"Then get back to work."

"Uh...right, Boss. I'll do that right now."

"You and Gibbs," mused McGee with a raised eyebrow, "alone in a cabin for a week. Good luck with that. I hope you survive."

****NCIS/SPN**  
**

Tony peered through the windshield at the pouring rain, brow crinkling. "Man, where did this storm come from? I checked the weather. They weren't calling for this."

"They get it wrong as often as they get it right," observed Gibbs.

Tony's thumb nervously tapped against the steering wheel. "I know but this just seems a little crazy."

They drove in silence for a little while longer until suddenly the car gave a couple of grinding coughs and sputtered fitfully. "What the hell?" Tony wrestled with the wheel and pulled the car to the side of the road where it wheezed a couple of times and suddenly died. He looked at Gibbs with regret in his eyes. "Sorry, Boss. I don't know what the problem could be. I had it in for a tune up just a couple of weeks ago."

Tony glanced at his watch. "We didn't have that much farther to go. I think we can walk it if you don't mind getting a little wet."

Gibbs gave an abrupt nod. "Can't stay here."

"Most of our stuff is in our backpacks anyway. Shouldn't be too bad. It's a straight shot up this road for a while. The cabin should be off to the left around a sharp bend in the road."

"It ain't getting any warmer sitting here. Let's get to it," growled Gibbs, shoving the car door open.

They exited the car and grabbed their backpacks from the trunk. Slipping the packs on their shoulders, the two agents headed down the road, their feet slapping against the wet macadam. The rain let up somewhat as they walked. About fifteen minutes into their hike, Tony's footsteps slowed, and he stopped mid-stride. His head swiveled side to side, taking in the skeletal trees swaying fiercely in the gloom.

"What?" queried Gibbs as he also drew to a stop.

"Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Like somebody's watching us?"

Gibbs' intense gray gaze peered at their surroundings. "Can't say that I do."

Tony stayed still for another minute then visibly shook himself. He gave one last look around. "Weird. Guess it was just my imagination. Sorry."

They continued on their trek, neither speaking until the cabin came into view. Tony pointed and called out, "There it is!"

Tony and Jethro half jogged the rest of the way to the cabin, and Tony made short work of pulling the key from his pocket and opening the door. Stepping across the threshold, he flipped the light switch located just inside the door and the living room flooded with light.

Tony whistled as his gaze traveled around the nicely appointed, rustic living space. An oversized denim-blue couch faced a fireplace and was flanked on each side by matching chairs with invitingly fluffy cushions. A large TV was mounted over the mantle. "Matt wasn't kidding. This is a nice place!"

"It's warm and dry," observed Gibbs, "that's all I care about right this minute."

"Warm? I thought it was a little chilly in here." Tony frowned as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Thought a fire was sounding pretty good about now."

Jethro mirrored Tony's actions and hung his coat on a set of hooks near the door. "Fine by me."

"I think Matt said there was some wood out on the back porch. I'll go get some." Tony disappeared into the nether regions of the cabin.

While DiNozzo was out back, Gibbs took the opportunity wander around the cabin, taking in and admiring some of the fine craftsmanship on display, much of it inlaid with intricate symbols and patterns. He'd just made a complete turn around the room when he noted that Tony had yet to return. He was just about to call out for the younger man when Tony reappeared in the living room with an armful of wood.

"What took you so long?"

"Hmm, what?" Tony glanced back over his shoulder with a slight frown. He turned his attention toward the fireplace and dropped the wood in front of it. "Oh, nothing." Tony shrugged. "I just had that feeling again—that someone was watching." He knelt and began arranging the kindling in the firebox. When he finished, he stood. "Clearly just my imagination…" DiNozzo clapped his hands together. He tilted his head to the side indicating the fireplace. "You want to do the honors? I want to go raid the kitchen and see what's on the menu for dinner."

"Yeah. Fine. Go—I'll take care of this."

Before heading toward the kitchen, Tony ambled to the front window beside the door. Bending over, he sighed. "This is gonna be great," he enthused. "A warm fire, some hot food…we'll fire up the TV. Got here just in time too; it looks like it's starting to snow…"

A hideously contorted face suddenly appeared on the other side of the glass. Its black, malice-filled eyes fixed on Tony. Its mouth twisted into a cackle or a scream. A long and gnarled nail tap-tap-tapped on the glass.

Tony yelped, careening away from the window and falling backward.

TBC…


	2. Mmm, I Like!

Tony saved himself from falling on his ass with an outstretched arm. He quickly scrambled to his feet, eyeing the now-empty window.

Having heard DiNozzo's cry, Gibbs whirled around and saw the younger man straightening. "What the hell?"

"D-did you see it?"

"See what?"

"There was a face in the window," muttered Tony. He started for the door.

"A face?" Gibbs abandoned his fire-making duties and fell in behind Tony.

"Yeah. Seemed kinda distorted or deformed somehow." He cautiously pulled open the door, leaned forward, and peered out onto the porch. Finding it empty, Tony stepped outside, Gibbs on his heels. The pair approached the spot in front of the cabin window, years of experience prompting them to automatically look for clues.

"I don't see anything here," commented Gibbs.

DiNozzo's gaze narrowed as he searched the gloomy vicinity around the porch. "No, me neither."

"You're sure you saw something?"

"C'mon, Boss, you know me. I'm not the imaginative type…" A skeptical blink from Gibbs had Tony hurrying on. "Okay, I am…sometimes…especially around Halloween. But not with something like this. I know I saw someone…or something."

"Some…_thing_, DiNozzo?"

Tony waved a dismissive hand, his gaze still roaming the shadows. A chill danced across his skin. "You'd have to see it to understand."

"I'm going to take a look around back," Gibbs informed his second in command.

DiNozzo gestured to the tree line facing the cabin. "Yeah, okay. I'll look around out there."

"Yell if you see anything," advised Gibbs as he started walking.

"Yeah, you too."

They headed in their separate directions. Tony reached the stand of trees and paused, listening. Hearing nothing but his own breathing, he turned in a slow circle, looking for any signs of movement. All remained still. Tony sucked in a breath, grimacing at the corrupt odor of rot permeating the woods. Not willing to press deeper into the trees, Tony turned intending to head back to the cabin. He jumped in surprise to see her—it was a her, right?—now standing a few feet in front of him. In a glance he took in the long, lank gray hair, severely pointed nose and chin, grossly taloned hands, and…reddish skin. The glimpse he'd caught of her in the window hadn't done her hideousness justice.

Tony fell back a step but she moved faster than he thought possible and was suddenly directly in front of him. His height or slightly taller, her fathomless eyes bored into his. Then she smiled at him, revealing a mouthful of pointed teeth. He flinched when she raised a hand and stroked his cheek with an elongated finger, its sharp nail stinging against his skin.

"Mmm, I like," she whispered, her smile growing impossibly wide. "I like," she repeated.

In a fog, DiNozzo's knees gave way and he sank bonelessly to the ground.

Having walked a slow circle around the cabin and finding nothing, Jethro rounded the last corner and called out, "Tony, I don't see…" He broke off when he saw his agent flat on the ground, arms and legs akimbo, at the base of a tree. Worse, a rags-clad figure appeared to be sitting on his chest.

Gibbs pulled his weapon from the small of his back and ran forward in one smooth motion. "Hey! Get the hell away from him!"

The figure's head jerked up and she shot him a depthless glare. She hissed at Gibbs and then in a flurry, leapt up and launched herself into the deepening gloom now cloaking the trees.

Gibbs reached Tony and squatted at his side. "Hey. Hey, Tony! You with me?" He grabbed Tony's shoulder and gave him a shake.

DiNozzo groaned and opened his eyes. Seeing Gibbs hovering over him, he struggled to sit up. "Whoa. What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me? I found you on the ground with someone sitting on top of you." Gibbs helped Tony to his feet.

"Huh?" Tony blinked a few times and the fog cleared. "Oh. Yeah. She—she was here."

"I thought you were going to yell for me if something happened."

"I did!" Seeing Gibbs' stormy expression, DiNozzo muttered, "Didn't I?"

"No."

"Well, I thought I did. It was weird. I looked around, didn't see anything, then I turned around to go back to the cabin and she was just…there."

Gibbs tucked his gun away and nudged Tony toward the cabin. "Speaking of getting back to the cabin—that sounds like a good idea."

They walked to the cabin in silence. Once inside, Jethro proceeded to the fireplace without stopping and finished building the fire. Once it was going strong, he turned and looked at DiNozzo, who was still standing in the middle of the room with a thoughtful look on his face.

"You're bleeding."

Tony's gaze focused on his boss. "Huh?"

Gibbs pointed to his own cheek and said, "Your cheek. You must have scratched it when you fell out there."

DiNozzo touched his cheek, feeling a trace of stickiness there. "Oh. Yeah, I guess so." He walked to the adjacent kitchen and turned on the faucet, quickly rinsing his face and drying it with a paper towel as he wandered back to the living room. He looked in a small mirror hanging on the wall and glanced at the small, but angry-looking, scratch.

"So who—what—the hell was that, DiNozzo?"

Tony shook his head. "I dunno, Boss. But I think we know some people who might." He pulled out his cell phone and began to scroll through his contact list.

****NCIS** **SPN****

Dean Winchester filled the two mugs on the counter with coffee from the fresh pot that had just finished brewing. He added cream to one and then lifting the mugs, he grabbed the plate of sandwiches he'd also just made and headed for the main room of the Men of Letters bunker. Pushing aside some papers and a book, he offloaded his bounty directly in front of his brother, Sam.

Dropping into the chair across from Sam, he said, "Anything?"

Sam shook his head without looking up from the ancient text he was intently perusing. "No."

Dean pointed a finger at his own face. "This is me…not surprised." He took a gulp of coffee while reaching for a sandwich and simultaneously nudging the plate toward Sam. "Hey, eat up! I didn't make these for display only." He took a healthy bite of his roast beef on rye and was just about to roll his eyes in delight when his cell phone rang. He grabbed it from the table, frowning at the unfamiliar number.

He swallowed his bite of sandwich and answered. "Hello?"

"_Dean? Dean Winchester?"_

"Who's this?"

"_Uh…Tony. Tony DiNozzo. We met a few years back…"_

"Hey, Mr. NCIS," Dean saw Sam's head come up. "Yeah, I remember. You and Special Agent…McGee, right? That bar in Virginia."

"_Yeah, that's right."_

"So what can we do for you—assuming this isn't some random social call?"

"_Well, I have—Gibbs and I—we have a little bit of a situation…and I think we need your kind of help."_

TBC…


	3. Strange Things Are Happening

"Our kind of help?" Dean turned to look at Sam with a frown. "How so?"

"_Gibbs and I-we're at this cabin—a little R&amp;R, you know—and, well, strange things are happening."_

"Strange? Are we talking ghost strange like at that restaurant?"

"_Uh…no..I don't think so."_

"Okay, give me the details."

Dean put Tony on speaker phone so Sam could make notes of the details.

"_There's this strange woman. At least I think it's a woman. Old. Ugly. Really ugly. Long, ratty gray hair. Her hands are kinda like claws. And…she has a mouthful of seriously sharp teeth."_

"She done anything?"

"_Well, at first she was just looking in the window, and then she kind of disappeared. Gibbs didn't see her but we went outside to check it out. At first there was nothing. And then she was just…there…out of the blue. She came at me and said something like 'I like' then ran when Gibbs showed up."_

"Okay, Tony, where are you exactly?"

"_Keyser's Ridge, Maryland. The cabin sits on a plot of land right on the edge of the Savage River State Forest. You'll see my car by the side of the road. We hiked the rest of the way after it died."_

Sam typed the information into the laptop as Tony spoke. "Hey, Tony," Sam called out, "listen, we're about 1,200 miles away from you. On the map it's a pretty straight shot. We'll head your way."

"That's roughly an 18-hour drive," interjected Dean. "We'll try to shave some time off that. Sam'll do some research on the way and see if we can figure out what we're dealing with. We'll let you know if we find anything. In the meantime, salt the doors and windows. Grab some iron if you can, it's a pretty good repellent too. Keep your guns handy. Sit tight. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"_Salt the doors and windows. Got it. Don't know if there's any iron here but we'll look. Our guns are already definitely handy. Now we just have to work on sitting tight. That might be a little problematic for Gibbs."_

"Sounds like my kind of guy. Listen—this thing—whatever it is—is probably deadly. I'd rather not have to do a CTS decon when I get there."

"_Got it. Lemme know if you find out anything; otherwise, I'll see you when you get here."_

**NCIS** **SPN**

Gibbs listened to DiNozzo's side of the conversation while he finished building the fire, welcoming the warmth set to dispel the chill of the cabin. When he was finished, he turned his stormy gray eyes on Tony and watched as the other man paced while speaking into the phone.

When Tony finished speaking and hung up, Gibbs pinned him in place with a look. "What was that all about? Who is this Dean Winchester?" Suddenly, Jethro's eyes narrowed. "Winchester. I know that name. It wasn't Dean though."

"No, Boss. You're thinking of his father, John. As I understand it, he helped you on a case—an unusual case—years ago."

"I remember now. Big guy. Dark hair, beard. Full of himself. And full of wild stories. Thought he was crazy when he came to me and offered to help solve the case. But he was a former Marine so I decided to give him a chance. Still don't know if I believe everything I saw back then. How'd you know about that?"

"Remember when McGee and I got stranded in Drespul, Virginia?" Tony waited for Gibbs to nod. "We ran into Dean and his brother, Sam, then. Dean recognized your name."

"From what I saw back then, their father's a good man."

"Was a good man. He died quite a while back."

"Too bad. Do they...were they aware of exactly what their dad did?"

"Oh, yeah. You could say they've carried on the family business. We...uh...had a little experience back in Drespul."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, nothing dangerous. But it certainly was...eye-opening."

"What's with the salt and iron?"

"According to Dean, they're good repellents. I hope there's salt in the kitchen. Matt was always a bit of a health nut…"

"What exactly are we repelling?"

Tony held up his cell phone and gave it a wiggle. "They're working on it."

**NCIS** **SPN**

The Winchesters were quick to grab and fill their duffle bags and weapons bags and were out of the bunker in just under 15 minutes. Dean twisted the key in the ignition and paused for just a moment to listen to her distinct rumble.

Shifting into gear, he glanced over at Sam. "Any idea what this thing is?"

Sam shook his head as he opened the laptop to take another look at the web page he'd been browsing just before they packed. "Not yet. It could be a number of things."

"Well, it's not a succubus—unless they've changed their MO. Which means we can also rule out an Empusa and a Mormo based on the ugly factor. Maybe a shtriga?" Dean unconsciously grimaced just saying the name. That's one of the ugliest uglies I know."

Sam gave a one shoulder shrug. "That's a possibility, I guess. I mean, they usually go after children but there can always an exception."

"How about a Baba Yaga? It fits the bill." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Dean smirked. "I swear, even after all these years, I still can't get used to saying _Baba Yaga_. Sounds like some freakish band name."

"They usually only goes after children too."

"It could just be your ordinary run-of-the-mill witch."

Sam rotated his head a couple of times and sighed in relief as his neck popped. "It could be but that seems really odd."

"Well, I'm outta ideas, so you keep doing your research thing and I'll keep doing my driving thing."

Silence reigned in the Impala for the next hour. Then Sam spoke startling Dean from the lull he'd fallen into while driving.

"Hey, Dean?"

Dean's hands tightened on the wheel, he shifted in his seat. "Yeah?"

"You mentioned a succubus earlier…"

"Yeah, but they usually appear looking like supermodels—you know, to lure the guy to his doom."

"Right. What if this is a boo hag?"

"Seems like Maryland's a little far north for that."

"It's still below the Mason-Dixon line though." Sam turned in his seat and reached into the back seat. After pushing some stuff aside, he grabbed a book and brought it up front. He quickly thumbed through the pages. He stopped on a page and pointed. "Yeah, see, they're most often found in and around the Sea Islands of South Carolina. But there have been occasional reports of them showing up in North Carolina and Georgia. Who's to say one can't be in Maryland."

Dean conceded the argument with a nod. "Okay. What else do we know about boo hags?"

"Nothing good."

TBC…

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A/N: CTS decon stands for "Crime and Trauma Scene Decontamination"


	4. Salt and Iron, Iron and Salt

Leaving Gibbs to a likely fruitless search for items made of iron throughout the rest of the cabin, Tony headed for the kitchen. The first cupboard he opened was full of nothing but plates, bowls, cups, and glasses. He closed the door and moved on to the next cupboard on the right. It was full of more of the same only bigger—serving dishes. The third cupboard revealed some staples like canned coffee, some powdered creamer, sugar, a small box of tea bags, but no salt. Finally, the cupboard over the stove yielded a variety of spices and other cooking items, including one round container of table salt and one small box of kosher salt. Pleased he'd even found that much, which probably wouldn't prove to be enough, DiNozzo moved to the lower cupboards in search of iron.

"Yes!" he gave a little fist pump when he quickly found two cast iron skillets in the cupboard near the stove. The rest of his search revealed little else of interest except for a number of drawers filled with miscellaneous papers and silverware and a well-stocked pantry. Tony's stomach rumbled at the thought of food and decided they'd eat just as soon as they got the cabin secured.

Gathering his 'treasures', Tony headed back to the living room, entering just as Gibbs walked through a door on the opposite side of the room. "Any luck?" he asked as he put his stuff down on the coffee table.

Gibbs held up a white bottle with a frown. He gave it a shake. "These. Found this in the medicine cabinet. Do iron _pills_ work?"

DiNozzo shrugged. "Beats me. It's not like I do this for a living," he joked. "But it can't hurt to add them to the stack." He gestured to the two frying pans. "Anything else?"

Gibbs held up what looked to be an antique iron. "Doorstop from one of the bedrooms. Not even sure it's real iron." He sat both items down inside one of the skillets.

Tony looked down at their "arsenal". "Not much, huh?" he said ruefully. "That was all the salt I could find too. Gotta admit, I'm actually surprised I found that much. Matt must've changed his ways." He gave a cursory look around. "I don't think it'll be enough to cover all the doors and windows though."

"There's a shed out back," Gibbs said. "There might be some rock salt for winter inside. I'll go look. You start doing what you need to do in here."

Tony nodded. "Got it. Be careful out there, Boss."

"I'm not the one she's after, DiNozzo."

After watching his boss leave the room to head out back, Tony picked up the table salt and moved to one of the windows by the door. As he poured a line of salt across the jamb, he thought he saw movement outside. He leaned closer to the glass and gazed around the front yard. At first he saw nothing but a second later another flutter to the right caught his attention. Given the distance and the gloom, she was somewhat hard to see, but she was definitely standing at the tree line staring at the cabin. When she saw him looking, she smiled. It was not a nice smile. In fact, the phrase _wicked grin_ came to mind. A shiver traced its way down Tony's spine. He blinked and looked again. She was gone!

There was a sound behind him and DiNozzo spun around, breath catching in his lungs. A trail of white salt crystals followed his abrupt movement. But it was only Gibbs returning from the backyard.

Seeing Tony's jerky movement, Jethro's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

At Gibbs' skeptical look, Tony shrugged. "I thought I saw her out there. But I blinked and she disappeared, so maybe…maybe I was just imagining it this time."

"Yeah, well, imagination or not, let's get this so-called protection in place. We both might feel better," Gibbs held up a crumpled bag. "I found some rock salt. There's only a quarter of a bag here, but we'll make it work."

**NCIS** **SPN**

Dean's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "So what's the story?"

Sam's fingers tapped at the laptop keys again. His eyes scanned the screen for a moment before he started speaking. "According to the legends, boo hags are sorta like vampires. But instead of subsisting on blood, they take a person's breath."

"Far less messy that way, I guess."

"Less messy but no less deadly. Most boo hags drain the energy of their victims while they sleep. They position themselves over their sleeping victim and suck their breath. It's called _riding their victims_. In fact, there's an old expression in South Carolina, 'don't let de hag ride ya'."

Dean snorted softly. "Gee, that doesn't sound dirty at all."

"It's not. I mean, it's not like a succubus that uses sex to drain a man's life force…"

"Now there's a great joke in there somewhere…" Dean interjected, while one eyebrow headed north.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Boo hags gain sustenance from a person's breath and keep going back again and again until the person eventually dies."

"Lovely."

Sam scrolled down a little more. "Oh, this isn't good."

"What?"

The younger Winchester continued reading from the legend presented on the web page. "Boo hags have no skin and often steal a victim's skin so as not to be too conspicuous when moving about during the day. They wear the skin as long as it holds out and then must look for a replacement. Victims who struggle are often the ones who get skinned."

Dean grimaced. "Well, that's more than a little gross. You really think this is what we're dealing with here?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure the description Tony gave us matches, but it's a definite possibility."

"Might be helpful to know if there have been any dead bodies showing up in the area recently."

"Yeah, I'm going to research that next—see if there's been anything strange at all going on in the area." Sam paused. "Hey, Tony didn't say anything about this thing scratching him, did he?"

"Not that I recall. Why?"

"It says here that on rare occasions, if the boo hag draws blood on a chosen victim, it marks them and gives her greater access and influence."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know. But I don't like it."

TBC…


	5. Marked

Tony was antsy. He prowled from one end of the cabin to the other, checking and rechecking the salt lines they'd laid down earlier. His gaze drifted to the windows on numerous occasions, searching for a glimpse of the creature stalking him. Sometimes he actually saw her, or thought he did, lurking out in the trees staring avidly at the cabin.

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor at the rate you're going," muttered Gibbs.

Tony paused, dropping down in a chair across from Gibbs. "Sorry, Boss. I guess I'm a little…tense."

"A little?"

"Okay, maybe more like a lot," DiNozzo's mouth turned up at the corner. "I mean, give me a bad guy with a gun any day. I know what to do, yeah? But this…this is just…" Tony shook his head. "Crazy."

"You won't get an argument from me on that," agreed Gibbs.

DiNozzo popped up like a cork and started another circuit of the room. "I just feel like…like I should be doing something."

"You are doing something—you're waiting. We've done what we can until your friends get here."

"Yeah, yeah—I know. I just wish…" Tony stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. You know what—I'm hungry. You hungry? I think I'll make some sandwiches." He wasn't really hungry, but he figured assembling some food would keep his hands busy at least. Tony was on his way to the kitchen when his cell phone rang.

"Hey, Sam…"

"_Tony…"_

"Tell me you got something."

"_Yeah, I think…maybe…listen, we think you're dealing with a boo hag."_

"A _**boo hag**_? You mean like a crabby old woman? Great—I'm being stalked by an old woman. I think I saw this in a movie once."

"_Well, yes and no. I mean, technically it's female, I guess. But, you see, boo hags are…uh…skinless. They wear a victim's skin to be less conspicuous."_

"Wait—so you're telling me some creepy, crabby old woman wants to kill me and wear my skin like a cheap suit?"

"_Possibly. According to the lore, they usually will take a skin only if a victim struggles during a ride. But depending on the condition of her current skin, if it's wearing out, she might just be hunting for a new one. Either way, she's definitely targeted you anyway."_

"Okay, that's just slightly nasty."

"_Listen, we can explain more when we get there. Tony, did she scratch you or mark you in any way when she first attacked you?"_

DiNozzo's fingertips flew to the small scratch on his face. "Uh, yeah—maybe—I have a little scratch on my face. Thought I got it when I fell but I guess she could've done it. Why?"

"_The lore says something about boo hags having greater access to a victim if they mark him."_

"Greater access? What does that mean?"

"_We don't know yet. The lore so far doesn't specify."_

"Great. So what else can we do until you guys get here?"

"_Just sit tight. If this is a boo hag, right now she prowling around because it's dark out. But according to what we know, she has to return to her skin by dawn or be forever skinless. So for now, just hold out until dawn."_

DiNozzo glanced at his watch and ran a hand down his face. "Well, that's only three more hours. That should be a breeze, right?"

"Hey, for a seasoned agent like you? Just pretend you're on a stake out," Sam teased.

"Actually, it's not that far off, right?" Tony forced a small laugh. "At least the accommodations are good." The NCIS agent signed off and hung up his phone, shoving it back in his pocket as he returned to the living room.

Seeing Tony return, Gibbs glanced up from the hunting magazine he'd been reading. Seeing him empty-handed, Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were making yourself a sandwich?"

"Eh…I kinda lost my appetite."

"You? Lose your appetite? I didn't think that was possible," having heard Tony's cell phone ring, Gibbs continued, "Must've been a hell of a phone conversation. No good news, I take it."

"Sure, it would've been good news…if I was writing the world's next cult classic horror movie." DiNozzo went on to summarize his conversation with Sam Winchester.

"So that's it? Something called a boo hag? Did they say how we're gonna kill it?"

"No. I'm not sure they even know yet. Sam said they'd explain more once they got here."

"So we just continue to sit here." Being a man of action when facing threat, the notion didn't sit well with the NCIS Team Leader, despite his earlier comments to DiNozzo.

"Pretty much. At least at dawn she has to leave for a while." Tony grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, surfing for a minute until settling on a channel. "Might as well watch a movie while we're just sitting here."

Gibbs grunted in agreement though his attention returned to the magazine. Twenty minutes later, he tossed the glossy pages aside and looked over at DiNozzo. The younger man had fallen asleep, arms and legs akimbo in a graceless sprawl. Leaving him to his nap, Gibbs stood and stretched. All was quiet, almost too quiet, and the back of Leroy's neck itched with the sensation of being watched. Shrugging off his discomfiture, he slipped the remote from Tony's lax fingers and his own brand of movie on TV. After doing a cautionary circuit of the living room and bedrooms, he moved to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee before returning to his chair in the living room.

**NCIS** **SPN**

A cool breeze dancing across his face and ruffling his hair woke him. Gibbs jerked awake and sat, automatically glancing at his watch as he did so. When he saw he'd only dozed off for ten minutes, he breathed a sigh of relief. The sigh turned to a curse when he looked over at the couch and found it empty. And the source of the cool breeze was the open door beyond.

Gibbs sprang to his feet and raced for the door. Gun in hand, he crossed the porch and bounded down the steps, head swiveling as he searched. There! By the tree line. DiNozzo lay supine on the ground, the boo hag straddling his hips. She was bent low over Tony's face. He ran toward them.

"Hey!"

The creature straightened and looked over at him. She grinned a toothy grin before smacking her lips as if she'd just had the tastiest of treats.

Gibbs' finger was on the trigger when she suddenly rose up and, to his utter surprise, flew away. Lowering the gun, he hurried to Tony's side. He reached for the other man's shoulder and gave it a shake.

"DiNozzo, hey! C'mon, wake up."

Tony's eyes fluttered and opened. "Wha?" He blinked blearily a couple of times before his eyes finally focused. With Gibbs' assistance, he sat up. His gaze roamed for a moment. "Why am I outside?"

"You tell me—why the hell ARE you outside?"

"Beats me." Tony pushed to his feet and slowly started walking back toward the cabin. "I was watching that movie…then I…I must've fallen asleep 'cause I was dreaming. I'm not even sure about what but I was dreaming…and then you were there calling my name."

Tony shuffled to the couch and sluggishly sank down on the cushions. "Man, I feel like hammered crap." He bit back a yawn.

"You don't remember what you were dreaming about at all?"

"No…well…I dunno, it was like someone was calling for me, you know? Like a really faint whisper…but that's all I remember."

"Yeah, well, I found you outside, on the ground, with her on top of you…"

Tony shuddered at the image. "I don't remember getting up or walking at all. So I guess I was sleepwalking?"

"Damn. I dozed off or I would've seen you." There was self-recrimination in Gibbs' statement. "Give me your phone."

"What?" Tony eyed Gibbs, a puzzled look on his face.

"Give me your phone."

Tony complied and watched as his boss looked at the tiny screen and thumbed in some numbers.

Sam answered on the second ring. _"Tony? What's going on?"_

"This is Gibbs."

"_Uh…hi…Agent Gibbs. Where's Tony?"_

"He's sitting right here next to me. I think we've found out what that _greater access_ means."

"_Oh?"_

"Yeah. I think she can somehow infiltrate his dreams."

TBC…


	6. Curb Appeal

"There's their car," called Sam, pointing. "The cabin isn't much farther."

"Tony said the car just died right there, huh?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Dean gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Just seems odd is all."

"I think we might be dealing with a pretty powerful boo hag. You think she could've caused it?" Sam questioned.

"It's not in any of the lore you shared with me, right? But who the hell knows." Dean shrugged. "Stranger things have happened. Maybe it's a boo hag turned witch or a witch turned boo hag. Or some other freaky hybrid we don't know about."

"Yeah, I guess anything is possible."

Dean rounded a curve in the road and brought the Impala to an abrupt halt. An old tree had fallen and was blocking the road. "Damn it," muttered Dean with an angry swat at the steering wheel.

Sam sighed. "Looks like we're walking."

"Always did love being a pack mule," said Dean as he exited the car and made his way to the trunk. The brothers filled their second set of duffel bags with a variety of "just in case" weapons. Before closing the trunk, Dean grabbed the can of blue paint they'd brought with them. "I'm glad there's only one of these."

Steps away from the car, it started to rain.

**NCIS** **SPN**

Gibbs quit pacing and dropped into the chair next to the couch, his eyes locked worriedly on Tony who lay in a light doze. The younger man was tossing restlessly. Jethro reached for Tony's shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Hey, DiNozzo…"

Tony came awake with a start, gazing quickly roaming the room before settling on Gibbs. "Oh, hey Boss." He pushed himself upright and ran a hand down his face. "Sorry. I don't even remember closing my eyes. Missed the movie, huh?"

Jethro tilted his head and nodded. "Snored your way right through it," he teased.

"Guess that's why I feel so refreshed, huh?" Tony grinned, though his tired countenance belied his words.

"You want some coffee?"

"Right now I'd cut off my left…err…arm for some coffee. The stronger the better."

Gibbs left the room, returning minutes later with fresh cups of coffee for him and Tony. He handed his senior field agent his cup and dropped a package of cookies in front of him. "Eat."

"I'm not…"

A hard look from Gibbs silenced DiNozzo's protest. He picked up the package of cookies and opened it. "Eating, Boss." He extracted a chocolate-covered circle and shoved it in his mouth. He ate the first one slowly but quickly followed up with three more in between sips of coffee. After a couple of minutes, Tony sat back with a sigh, the package now empty. "Wow. I actually feel a little bit better."

"So you were pretty restless there while you were sleeping…"

"Yeah? It's weird. It's almost like I can hear her. I mean, she's not calling me. Not really. There aren't any words…but…I dunno…" Tony shrugged. "It's just so…weird."

"Weird doesn't begin to describe anything about this situation," grumbled Gibbs.

"I'm sorry about this, Boss. I really meant for this to be just a relaxing weekend."

"You think I blame _you_ for this?" Gibbs queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it was my idea…and it IS my friend's cabin."

"Right. Totally your fault then." The tone of Gibbs' voice conveyed disbelief.

"You always did say I was a trouble magnet."

The corner of Gibbs' mouth drifted upward. "Can't say I've changed my mind."

A noise on the porch had them both jerking to attention. Gibbs and DiNozzo rose and walked toward the door, arming themselves as they went. A jut of Gibbs' chin told Tony to stay out of sight and he reached for the door handle. Before his fingers made contact, there was a heavy knock on the door, probably made by a booted foot. Accompanying the knock was a voice.

"It's Dean—Dean Winchester. Open up."

Gibbs' fingers wrapped around the door handle, twisted, and he still somewhat cautiously opened the door. He gave the two tall strangers the once over before motioning for them to come inside.

Tony's face lit up when he saw the Winchesters. "Dean! Sam! Boy, am I glad to see the two of you!" He quickly introduced them to his boss.

"So this is the infamous Gibbs." Dean met Gibbs' steely gaze head on. "Heard a lot about you from our dad."

Jethro's gaze flicked to Tony and back. "John Winchester. Good man."

"Yeah. He said the same thing about you."

Niceties dispensed with Gibbs eyed the can of paint as Dean placed it on the floor. "Planning on redecorating?"

"Yeah, you like the color?" snarked Dean as he moved toward the fireplace to get warm and dry out.

Sam jumped into the conversation as he followed Dean's lead. "The paint is to help set a trap for the boo hag."

"What are we gonna do—throw it at her?"

The older Winchester actually chuckled as he shrugged out of his jacket. He grabbed his brother's as Sam slipped out of his and spread them both in front of the fire to dry.

"We're going to paint the window sills and door frames with the blue paint—well, most of them anyway," Sam offered.

Gibbs' brow lowered in either confusion or agitation. "What's that gonna do? She gonna stop to admire the cabin's curb appeal?"

Walking to the couch, Dean picked up the explanation. "According to the lore, boo hags can't get past the blue paint. So we paint all the entrances but one…"

"Lore? You're going by lore?"

It was Sam who responded. "Sometimes—more times than we care to admit—that's all we've got."

Gibbs' expression clearly said he wasn't at all happy with the situation. However, he pulled in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. He opened his eyes. "All right…so you have a plan. Let's hear the details…" He paused and focused on Tony who'd been quiet as the three of them talked. Gibbs frowned at DiNozzo's drawn face and pale complexion. "DiNozzo? You okay?"

"Yeah, Boss. Just tired." As if to prove his point, Tony yawned long and hard.

"I'm not surprised," Sam said. "I think the Boo hag is continually drawing on your energy. Even though it's daylight and she's not on the prowl."

"So she's draining me like a battery. Great."

"The upside, Tony," continued Sam, "is that you're young and healthy—strong enough to sustain the assault—at least for a little while. Long enough for us to take her out."

Tony yawned again. "I hope so."

Gibbs' cleared his throat, as much to distract DiNozzo as anything else. "So tell me—us—about this plan."

TBC…


	7. Feeling Blue

**A/N:** My apologies for not getting this chapter up quicker. Writing has been hard lately. This is super short, but I just needed to get something up so you all didn't think I'd forgotten about this story.

Though short, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Gibbs stared at Dean Winchester with cynical wonder. "So you're telling me that this blue paint is to keep her—this Boo Hag thing—out AND lure her in?"

Dean half-nodded. "Kinda, yeah."

"That makes no sense."

"It does seem odd," Sam chimed in. But—it's basically a challenge she won't be able to resist. It's basically a trap. The blue paint, applied around the doors and windows, etcetera, will keep her out of the cabin. But," Sam held up a finger, "if we leave one spot—a relatively small one—unpainted she'll be able to get through."

Gibbs raised an iron gray eyebrow. "And why would we want to do that—let her in? I though the point was to keep her out of here and away from Tony."

"It is, but we need to distract her," Sam replied.

"AND keep her busy," added Dean.

Tony leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why?"

Dean pulled the paintbrushes they'd brought out of a plastic bag. "Because while she's busy here trying to get to Tony, Gibbs and I are going to be getting the skin she wears during the day."

Tony nodded once. "So I'm going to be the bait in the trap."

"Yes. Sam will stay here with you."

"Ooohhh, my very own bodyguard. Just promise me you won't pick me up in your arms and sing 'I Will Always Love You' ala Whitney Houston."

Sam laughed. "I think you're safe."

"Yeah, you really don't wanna hear him sing," joked Dean as he handed a paintbrush to the rest of them. "When he does, he makes small children cry."

"As if you're any better. I've seen windows crack when you hit those high notes." Sam retorted albeit with a grin.

Gibbs interrupted the banter. "So what do we do when we find this…skin?"

Sam eyed Gibbs and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well…umm…you're going to think this is really weird…"

"What about this ISN'T weird?" grumbled Jethro. He motioned for Sam to continue.

Sam sighed and said, "We have to sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper."

Gibbs looked a little stunned. "You mean to tell me that while this…thing…is here going after my agent, we're going to be out there somewhere playing Top Chef?"

Dean shrugged. "Essentially."

"What happens after we do that?"

"According to the lore," Sam again continued, "she should slip back into her skin and…uh…burn up."

Again Gibbs' eyebrows traveled upward. "According to the _lore_?" He shook his head. "This is insane! So you don't really know what's going to happen…"

The Winchester brothers both hesitated ever so slightly before Dean said, "We've never actually hunted one of these before…"

Sam picked up the thread. "So, yes, we're simply basing this on the research we've been able to do."

Again Dean shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time. Sure as shit won't be the last."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he gazed at the elder Winchester, making it clear he wasn't particularly happy with his seemingly flippant attitude.

Seeing Gibbs' displeasure, Dean's hackles rose a little but he offered a half smile and clapped his hands together. "All right, let's get on with the redecorating."

DiNozzo reluctantly stood, gripping his paintbrush tightly in one fist. "Ah, my friend, Matt, is gonna kill me when he hears about this."

"So don't tell him," advised Dean.

"What—and let him come up here to find his cabin trimmed in 'Adriatic Sea'?"

"Sure." Dean shrugged. "Tell him you were bored on your long weekend."

Tony bent down and picked up a can of paint. "Yeeeeah, somehow I don't think that's gonna fly."

It didn't take long for the four men to paint around the doors and windows in the cabin, leaving just a tiny decorative window unpainted.

Gibbs eyeballed the window skeptically. "Not a very big window for her to get through."

"Hey, I said we needed to let her in," responded Dean, "I didn't say we needed to make it easy. So once this dries, we need to do a second coat…"

"Because that's what the _lore_ says, right?" Gibbs bit out.

Dean tensed. "You got it, Mr. Special Agent-in-Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Sensing the rising tension between his brother and the government agent, Sam quickly interjected before things could escalate. "I don't know about anyone else, but I could use some coffee and food while we wait to throw on that second coat."

"I second that," muttered Tony through a yawn. "We've got plenty in the kitchen."

The tension between Dean and Gibbs eased a bit and the foursome headed to the kitchen. They were soon all seated at the round table with sandwiches and big mugs of coffee.

Around a bite of roast beef on rye, Dean directed some questions at DiNozzo. "So are there any other cabins or houses around here?"

After a swallow of coffee, Tony responded. "Not that I know of."

"Caves?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know."

"Hollows? Tunnels? Anywhere this hag may be hanging out?"

"Sorry, but I have no idea," Tony's voice was full of regret. "I've never been up here before. Just heard about it from my buddy."

"And he's never said anything about neighbors or other people around up here?"

"Nope, not a word other than how fantastic this place was."

"Great," muttered Dean around another bite, "we don't even have a place to start looking."

"I hate to ask this," Sam said, "but what if she's flying here?"

"FLYING?" Gibbs and DiNozzo exclaimed simultaneously.

Sam's gaze shifted from his brother, darting between the two other men. "Yeah. At least that's what some of the lore says," the younger Winchester nodded. "Unfortunately, there are conflicting accounts."

Gibbs put his coffee cup down with a thump. "This just gets better and better."

"I don't think she's flying here," Dean disagreed, shaking his head. "If she's targeted him," he paused to point at Tony, "for a new skin, that's gotta mean that her current one is wearing out. I think she's sticking relatively close by."

"But we don't know that for sure," argued Sam.

Gibbs scowled. "Doesn't sound like we know anything _for sure_."

Tony swallowed the last of his sandwich and cleared his throat. "Well, **I** know one thing for sure…if we're not successful in taking her out…I'm screwed."

TBC…


End file.
